


War of the Spark

by MapperOfTheMultiverse



Series: War of the Spark [1]
Category: Magic: The Gathering (Card Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Azorius Senate, Boros Legion (Magic: The Gathering), Cult of Rakdos, F/F, F/M, Golgari Swarm, Gruul Clans, House Dimir, Izzet League, M/M, Orzhov Syndicate (Magic: The Gathering), Selesnya Conclave
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:35:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25612186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MapperOfTheMultiverse/pseuds/MapperOfTheMultiverse
Summary: Nicol Bolas has spent his entire post-Mending life hoping to achieve one objective: Godhood.Now, with the means to do so, he has his sights set on Ravnica. The only thing standing in his way? An army of rag-tag planeswalkers lead by the fractured Gatewatch. But even as planeswalkers from all corners of the multiverse converge, it may already be too late to stop Nicol Bolas, the Dragon God.It all ends here.
Relationships: Jace Beleren & Vraska, Jace Beleren/Vraska, Nicol Bolas & Power, Nicol Bolas/Power, Tomik Vrona & Ral Zarek, Tomik Vrona/Ral Zarek
Series: War of the Spark [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1856488
Kudos: 6





	1. Prolouge-Nicol Bolas

**Author's Note:**

> This is a rewrite of Greg Weisman's War of the Spark novel. Weisman's book was not only filled with plot inconsistencies, out-of-character protagonists and antagonists, and little detail, but was also rushed and extremely simplistic. Many fans of Magic: The Gathering, were discontent and deeply disappointed.
> 
> This retelling of War of the Spark will alter the novel completely. A couple of important things to note here.
> 
> Firstly, this story is intended for those who are already immersed in the MTG universe, and known about its characters, planes, and past lore, whether it be through flavor text or other sources. This is NOT intended for those looking to dive into MTG lore. If you are new to Magic's story, I suggest you read past storylines first. I would recommend you start with the Zendikar storyline, which is on Magic's website.
> 
> Secondly, when I say that this story will alter Weisman's novel completely, I mean in its entirety. By the time I'm done, I hope that his will resemble nothing close to either War of the Spark novel.

**_So this is Ravnica_** , Nicol Bolas thought, as he surveyed the darkened city that lay in front of him. The tips of buildings jutted into the sky, while tiny houses floated in the air. Patchworks of grand halls lined the city, while dilapidated slums housed the less fortunate. Crumbling ruins, reminders of Ravnica’s past, sat untouched.

The grand City would have awed the citizens of any other plane.

Nicol Bolas was unimpressed.

_Even after all of this time, even after Azor’s departure, they still haven’t changed_ , the Elder Dragon thought amusedly. _The same tricks, the same traps, the same insignificant inner-guild quarrels. It took Niv-Mizzet months to finally unite all of the guilds. Vraska, in her foolishness, undid all of his work in a matter of moments._

Suddenly, Nicol Bolas felt a foreign power tugging at the edge of his mind. Without hesitation, he reached out, to find that the disturbance came in the form of his minion, Tezzeret. **_Speak_** , the Dragon ordered.

_It is done_ , Master the Master of Metal reported. _I have secured the Planar Bridge. Shall I travel to Amonkhet and activate it?_ Bolas ruminated for a moment before making his decision. **_Not yet_** , Bolas commanded. _As you wish, master_ , Tezzeret thought back, before the Elder Dragon snapped the mental connection.

The Second Sun of Amonkhet had one more message to deliver. He scanned through the planes of the Multiverse, before finally finding the figure that he was looking for. **_Ready the Army_** , he ordered the Necromancer, _**our attack commences shortly**_.

 _Fine_ , Liliana Vess snapped back. Nicol Bolas merely chuckled, allowing the sound of his booming laughter to pierce the planeswalker's mind. Then, once again, he separated his mind from hers.

After studying the city for some time, the dragon's gaze fell upon a grand statue. It depicted a massive boar, with numerous tusks jutting out from its maw. The symbol of the guildpact was etched into the beast’s hide, and a line of bright green fire ran down its back. Underneath, the beast’s title was carved in, presumably with some sort of sharp blade. It read:

ILLHARG. BOAR GOD. BRINGER OF THE END RAZE.

The Elder Dragon sneered. What did these pathetic mortals know about godhood? They carelessly referred to any being with the slightest speck of power as a deity and worshipped said beings as such.

No. Those beings were not true gods.

Nicol Bolas was once one of the most powerful beings in the multiverse. For millennia, he had done as he wished, reshaping planes, molding civilizations, and decimating his enemies with mere thoughts. As countless mortals lived and died, as untold planes evolved and perished, the Elder Dragon reigned high above all, as a true, living, breathing, God.

Then the mending had stolen it from him. A dozen planeswalkers, in their shortsighted foolishness, altered the very essence of the spark itself. Now, planeswalkers were no longer gods. They were mortal. They were weak. They were flesh and blood.

And Nicol Bolas, who had reigned as the most powerful being of the multiverse for millennia, found his power ripped away from him. His power, which he had spent thousands upon thousands of years gathering, was torn away from him in a matter of days. His divinity was deprived; his omnipotence frayed; his godhood stripped.

But Nicol Bolas was still an Elder Dragon. A planeswalker. A being with millennia worth of knowledge. And he was still powerful. He spent the next few decades plotting, scheming, manipulating. He crafted a plan so intricate that not even the combined power of a thousand planes could stop.

Nicol Bolas had once been a God. The multiverse and its denizens were once at his whim. And very soon, they would be once again. 


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After failing to persuade Nissa to come with him, Jace travels to Dominaria, in hopes of recruiting the Gatewatch to protect Ravnica.

“Please Nissa,” Jace begged. “Me, the Gatewatch, the citizens of Ravnica; we need you. Don’t let what Bolas did to Amonkhet-“

“It’s not like that” Nissa interrupted softly, finally looking the mind mage in the eye. “I made an oath to protect the life that flows on every plane. But I’ve already watched one world die in front of me, and _I can’t bear to see another plane broken, before I make my own home whole_. I’m sorry Jace, but I’m not coming to Ravnica.”

Jace sighed in disappointment, but he couldn’t blame the elf for her decision. Large swaths of Zendikar had already been devastated by the Eldrazi, and with Bolas so close to his endgame, it made sense that Nissa would want to stay and protect her home plane. There was nothing more he could do.

“I understand,” he told the elf. Then he hesitated, before forging on, “I hope that one day, when this is all over, perhaps you’ll consider rejoining the Gatewatch.”

For the first time since he stepped foot on Zendikar, Nissa smiled. “That would be nice,” she said with a bittersweet smile, before walking away into the dense, lush forest.

Running his hands through his hair, the Living Guildpact sighed in disappointment. He had desperately hoped that Nissa would aid him in stopping Bolas, but Jace had to admit that he had expected the elf to decline his offer. Taking a deep breath, Jace gathered his strength and reached out across the multiverse, searching for the minds of Gideon and Chandra.

It didn’t take long. Jace tracked them to Dominaria, and prepared to planeswalk there. Suddenly, a memory flashed in his mind. It was an oath that he had sworn to Vraska before he had wiped her memory.

_"I won't stay on Dominaria after I find them, though. The Guildpact belongs on Ravnica. I don't want to be like Azor."_

Jace paused. The memory made him think of His Captain. The Mind Mage gave a bashful smile, before shaking the thought off. _Get it together Beleren_ , he scolded himself. _The multiverse is on the line, and you’re thinking about…love?_

Focusing back on the task at hand, he concentrated, and for the briefest moment, Jace saw a hazy image of his destination. A rush of energy ran through him, and he could feel his body breaking away, particle by particle.

When he opened his eyes, Jace found himself in front of the ruins of an ancient stronghold, which looked out-of-place next to the nearby swampland. Staring up at the massive structure, the telepath was awestruck. _When was this made? Who made it? What material is it made of? Why does it look like someone blasted a hole through-?_

His thoughts were disrupted when he heard a sputtering sound from behind him.

Whipping his head around, he saw one very surprised Chandra, and an older woman, who wore a pair of golden goggles around her neck. Next to them, a large silver golem and a bald man seemed to have been conversing, but appeared to have been interrupted by his sudden appearance.

By now, numerous other figures had gathered around him, although they were all armed to the teeth. An angel, dressed as a mechanic for some odd reason, wielded a glowing spear, which radiated divine power. A vampire, cloaked in layers of heavy armor, brandished a large metal sword.

“Did you guys discover this?” Jace asked the small crowd that had gathered in front of him. “It’s so cool! I’ve never seen a stronghold this large before…But it doesn’t compare to the Golden City. Man! That was like, ten times as large as this!”

“Jace?” Chandra asked in disbelief. Then her hair lit up in a blazing inferno, and she tackled him to the ground in a massive embrace. When she finally let go, Chandra startled talking at a mile a minute. “How did you know where we were?” she asked “And where’ve you been for the past few months? We all thought you were dead. And…you’re muscular now? I remember when Gids tried to convince you to work out with him, and you didn’t even last a full ten minutes! Didn’t ‘chu nearly drown? And what’s with those clothes?” she questioned.

“It’s nice to see you as well,” Jace said awkwardly.

Dusting himself off, the Living Guildpact spotted someone out of the corner of his eye. He faced the newcomer, but before he could utter a single word, Jace was wrapped up in a bone-crushing hug. “Can’t. Breathe.’ he managed to choke out, and the Gideon let go.

“Jace!” the hieromancer exclaimed. “Gideon! I’m not dead!” the mind mage said brightly. The old woman stepped in front of him. “Who’s the bookworm in the bathing suit?” she asked sternly.

“Jaya, that’s-“ Gideon started to make introductions, but he was interrupted when another mage came running forward, hands glowing, and cast a spell that sailed right over Jace’s head. “The newcomer’s friendly!” Gideon shouted. The sorcerer frowned, but halted his magic.

The hieromancer let out a long sigh. “Everybody, this is Jace Beleren. He’s a telepath and illusionist, as well as one of the founding members of the Gatewatch,” Gideon called out. “Jace, this is our crew. Together, we destroyed Belzenlok and brought an end to the Cabal.”

“Now, now, what all of this commotion about?” a female voice drawled. Everyone turned around to see Liliana Vess walk over, her lips curled in distaste. “Liliana,” Jace greeted coolly. The necromancer’s face flashed with shock, but quickly returned to its normal, haughty expression.

Jace’s expression turned serious. Turning to the crowd in front of him, he cleared his throat. “I’m sure many of you have a lot of questions about me.” The Living Guildpact glanced at Chandra, who gave him a guilty smile. “But we don’t have much time. I came here to deliver a warning. Nicol Bolas is preparing a trap for planeswalkers.”

“That sounds like the old coot,” Lilianna muttered, while Gideon merely frowned. “A trap?

How?”

Jace sighed. “He’s using an artifact called the Immortal Sun. It prevents planeswalkers from, well, planeswalking.” He paused, waiting for questions. When none came, he continued onwards. “Bolas has his sights set on Ravnica; my… homeworld.”

“So this is a personal issue?” the silver golem questioned, sounding sympathetic.

Jace shook his head. “Ravnica’s more than my home,” he said slowly. “It’s a densely populated plane. Using a planar bridge, Bolas will transport his army of Eternals there. The undead soldiers will wreak havoc on the city and its denizens.”

The bald man frowned, before stepping in front of the golem. “My name is Teferi, I’m a time mage of Dominaria. It is nice to meet you, Jace Beleren.” The older man stroked his chin thoughtfully. “I’ve battled Nicol Bolas before, before the Mending.”

A planeswalker who had managed to content with Nicol Bolas? That wasn’t something you saw every day. “How did that turn out?” Jace asked, intrigued.

Teferi gave a pained smile. “I was defeated. Handily.” he admitted. Jace frowned, but said nothing. Turning his attention back Teferi, Jace asked him, “Will you join us in our battle?”

“You’re asking an old man to fight? You have some nerve,” Teferi said in mock outrage, before breaking into a grin. “I’ll come to Ravnica. If Bolas completes whatever sinister plot he’s put in motion, the whole multiverse will be at stake.”

The time mage turned to the sliver golem, who still hadn’t moved. The latter said nothing, but nodded at him. “Karn will aid you as well,” Teferi told Jace. A sense of relief washed over him, and the mind mage smiled for what felt like the first time in years. “Thank you,” he said. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”

A wistful expression appeared on the older man’s face. “I think I do,” Teferi said, staring off into the distance. Jace pondered the older man’s words for a few moments, before turning back to Gideon and Chandra, both of whom had been strangely silent during the exchange.

“Will you come with me?” he asked them. Gideon nodded solemnly, while Chandra jumped up and down, bobbing her head around like an automation gone haywire. “’Course we will,” she said brightly. “After all, that’s what we do right? Protecting the multiverse and whatnot.”

Jace gave another grateful smile. “Ajani is already gathering allies. I’ll be heading to Ravnica now.” He turned away from them, willing the shadows the gather around him, when he heard an irritated voice. “And what about me?”

Jace’s smile vanished, and paused to address Liliana. “And what about you?” he asked aloofly. For the first time in as long he could remember, Lilianna was speechless. “You can come if you want,” Jace told her disdainfully, before the silhouettes of darkness consumed him. 

* * *

As his physical body solidified, Jace stumbled, nearly falling flat on his face. Steadying himself on a nearby desk, the telepath took a glance around him. To his surprise, piles upon piles of paper littered the room, forming towers that put the Great Pyramids of Amonkhet to shame.

It struck Jace that among those sheets were countless laws that had been intricately planned and crafted, only to lie there for months. All because the Living Guildpact was missing. All because of him.

A wave of guilt washed over Jace. How many people had suffered, because of his negligence? For the first time, The Living Guildpact realized the full scope of his responsibilities. He really had done a terrible job of keeping law and order on Ravnica. Jace shook his head. _Now’s not the time for regrets,_ he berated himself.

Through the towering stacks of parchment, the sound of footsteps filtered through. Jace tensed, expecting an intruder. “Who’s there?” he shouted. “You have some nerve,” the voice hissed. “Trespassing in the Chamber of the Guildpact is punishable by death.”

There was only one person that stern, commanding voice could belong to. Shoulders falling in relief, Jace let out an audible sigh. “Lavinia?” he asked. “It’s me, Jace.” “Guildpact?” the voice responded, losing some of its edge.

“That’s me!” Jace said brightly, shoving piles of paper down. When he finally came face-to-face with his deputy, he frowned. The former Arrester’s face was thin; cheekbones narrow. Dark circles framed two bloodshot eyes, which stared back at him hollowly.

“You-you look terrible,” Jace noted. Lavinia nodded. “There’s been trouble with the Guilds, and without a Living Guildpact to maintain order,” she paused to frown at Jace, “there’s been a change in leadership in a few of guilds, most notably the Golgari.”

The telepath frowned. “Who’s the new guildmaster?” he asked, confused. “It’s the gorgon planeswalker. Vraska.” Lavinia paused to study Jace, who had gone white in the face. “Is something wrong Guildpact?” she asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

“I-I had a run in with Vraska on a different world,” he stammered. “But, she wasn’t-I’ll explain everything later. Right now, a powerful dragon planeswalker is headed to-“

He was interrupted in flashes of red and white. Three more bursts of light lit up of room, indicating the arrival of Karn, Teferi, and the Jaya. “What-“ Lavinia appeared to be caught off guard, but quickly regained her composure. “I assume these are your friends.” _Friends?_

The word felt weird. Jace had never really considered the members of the Gatewatch his _friends_. Hell, he didn’t consider himself to have any friends at all. He always regarded Gideon, Chandra, and Nissa in a strictly professional manner. But the more he thought about it, the more the Mind Mage realized that that’s what Chandra, Gideon, and Nissa were to him. _Friends._

After snapping out of his trance, Jace cleared his throat and turned started to make introductions. “Yes,” he said. “Err-these are my friends. Lavinia, you’ve met Gideon and Chandra before. That’s Jaya, next to Chandra. This is Teferi,” Jace said, gesturing at the bald man, who smiled at the Azorious. “And this is Karn.” He pointed to the Silver Golem, who nodded in greeting. “They’re here to protect Ravnica.”

Lavinia scowled. “’Protect Ravnica’? Law is already enforced by the Boros legion, if you’ve forgotten. And besides _your_ absence, Guildpact, there haven’t been any issues.”

The telepath shook his head. “There’s a greater threat coming to Ravnica,” Jace explained. “An ancient, Dragon planeswalker known as Nicol Bolas is plotting a trap for other planeswalkers. He has his sights set on here.”

Lavinia’s scowl depended. “How do you know this?” she asked suspiciously.

Before he could answer, Gideon spoke up. “We fought Bolas on a plane called Amonkhet. He destroyed and re-shaped an entire world in his image. Even the gods of Amonkhet were his servants. And when we attempted to fight him, we were all nearly killed.” The hieromancer paused, looking around. Then he turned towards Chandra. “Have you seen Liliana?” Gideon asked her uneasily.

Chandra grimaced. “She said she was coming with us to Ravnica…” the pyromancer trailed off. “Liliana wouldn’t abandon us like that, right?” the pyromancer asked uncertainly.

“I told you, she can’t be trusted,” Jace said, his voice hard. “She used me, and all of you, only to further her own goals. Now, that Liliana doesn’t need us anymore, she’s probably on a faraway plane.”

Teferi eyed Jace skeptically. “The necromancer had countless chances to betray us, yet she stuck by us to the very end.”

“Her actions saved Jhoira.” Jaya added, “I’ve been alive for hundreds of years, kid. I’ve seen countless more betrayals than you have, and Liliana certainly wasn’t one of them.” 

The Living Guildpact shook his head, firm in his belief. “You don’t know her like I do. Everything Liliana does is to help herself. She’s never done anything just to help others without getting something out of it. I’m sorry that you had to learn it the hard way, but she’s abandoned us.”

He turned away. “Now, we have to go. Bolas may have already infiltrated the guilds, and every moment we spend dawdling is one less moment we have to prepare for his arrival.”

Jace’s preposition was met by silence. Chandra spoke up. “What if she’s trapped on Dominaria? Or-or worse? One of us needs to go back.” The telepath frowned, but knew that there was no stopping his fellow planeswalkers.

Gideon nodded sharply. “I’ll go look for her. Wait until I come back.” Then he vanished in a flash of light.

Jace sighed, shaking his head. For the next few moments, no one spoke, until Teferi asked. “What’s you relationship with Liliana Vess?” His shoulders tensed, and Jace’s face became guarded. “Why do you want to know?” Jace asked sharply.

The time mage raised his hands in surrender. “It seems that you and the necromancer have…quite the history?” The statement-turned question hung in the air for a few moments, before Jace took a deep breath. “When I first met Liliana, I was a gullible young man on Ravnica. We had an affair. Even after she betrayed me to Tezzeret, a pawn of Bolas, I was still enamored with her.” He paused. “Liliana used me for my powers, as a mind mage. She used me for my connections. And, she used me for sex.”

Jaya looked at him with newfound respect, while Karn’s eyes shown with something that resembled pity. Jace paid them no heed and continued. “She abused me, but it was my fault. I was an addict. Hooked.” he said, voice dwindling down to no more than a whisper.

Chandra walked over, placing a hand on Jace’s shoulder. “I’m sorry,” she told him softly. “I didn’t know that Liliana hurt you like that. But it’s not you fault” Jace smiled back at weakly.

The moment was interrupted in a flash of white light. Gideon appeared, with a frown on his face. The assembled planeswalkers looked at him expectantly. “Well get on with it,” Jaya urged. “Where’s Liliana?”

The hieromancer’s expression was one of defeat. “She’s not on Dominaria, but her aether trail indicated that she planeswalked away.” Jace nodded, “I hoped otherwise. Liliana would have proved valuable against in the upcoming battle.”

The mind mage straightened his back. “There’s nothing we can do about it now.” A slight smile tugged on his lips. “We have an Elder Dragon to sabotage."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a review, and tell me what you thought about this chapter! Thoughts, comments, and suggestions will all be appreciated!

**Author's Note:**

> So, how did you like the prologue? Please leave a review with your thoughts and comments.
> 
> Also, I'll be updating this soon, so keep your eyes open.


End file.
